Liquid system for operating signals.



D. BREWS.

LIQUID SYSTEM FOR OPERATING SIGNALS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10. 1918.

1,326,388.. Patented Dec. 30,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- D. B REWS.

LIQUID SYSTEM FOR OPERATING SIGNALS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I0, 1918.

Patented Dec. 30,1919

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- DOUGLAS BREWS, 0F CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO.

LIQUID SYSTEM FOR OPERATING SIGNALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Application filed July 10, 1918. Serial No. 244,157.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DOUGLAS Bnnws, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Cleveland Heights, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Liquid Systems for Operating Signals, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an apparatus or system for operating signals, and more particularly to an apparatus or system for operating the whistles of steam vessels by means of a liquid line or circuit.

Among the general objects of the inven tion are to provide a system with means whereby the same may be. preliminarily filled with liquid in a convenient and efiective manner and which may be conveniently refilled from time to time as occasion may require. A further object of the invention is to provide a system of this character with an improved construction of plunger, mechanism and means for operating the same; a still further and more general object is to provide a system of this character which is comparatively simple and economical of production and installation. 1 accomplish the foregoing objects and others which will appear hereinafter in and through the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic side elevation of a vessel equipped with my system; Fig. 2 an elevation and F ig. 3 a central vertical section taken through the operating end of the system and disclosing the construction of the plunger and the connections for operating the same; and Fig. 4 a detail, partly in section and partly in elevation of the system at the whistle-operating end of the line.

Describing the various parts herein by reference characters, 1 denotes generally a steam vessel having the whistle 2 provided with a whistle valve 3 of the usual construction, the said valve having a stem 4:, shown as projecting forwardly therefrom.

Extending from any convenient place, as the bridge 5 or pilot house 6 to the whistle, is a conduit comprising the horizontal pipe 7, the vertical pipe 8 which may be supported from the floor of the bridge or pilot house by means of a plate or flange 8 and a vertical pipe 9 which may extend substantially parallel with the whistle pipe, its upper end being shown as bent forwardly and having a rearwardly extending branch 11 connected thereto by an elbow 12, said elbow having tapped into the upper end thereof a vent connection 13 provided with a pet cock 1%.

15 denotes a bracket secured to the vertical pipe 8 near the upper end thereof and having an upwardly extending arm 16 to which there is pivotally connected an operating lever 17, the pivotal connection being indicated at 18. The lever 17 is shown as provided with a loop 17 adapted to receive the upper end of the pipe 8 therewithin, said lever being provided with an operating handle 19. Projecting from opposite sides of the loop 18 are the trunnions 20 which are connected by means of links 21 with a cross head 22, having a central plug 22 threaded into the top of the hollow plunger 23, the lower end of said plunger being provided with cup washers 24, made of leather or other suitable material. These washers are shown as provided each with an aperture 25 therethrough adapted to register with an aperture 26 into the bottom wall of the plunger. A port 27 extends through the central portion of the cross head 22 and its upper end is provided with a removable plug 28 for the purpose of venting this end of the line during the filling and refilling operations. 29 denotes a tank, which may be mounted in any convenient place, as beneath the ceiling of the pilot house, and adapted to contain liquid for replenishing the system from time to time. The bottom of the tank is above the elbow 12 under normal conditions whereby, on opening the pet cock 14 and the plug 27, water from the tank may completely fill the line, the said tank being connected with the vertical pipe 8 by means of a pipe 30 provided with a check valve 31 which allows the liquid from the tank 29 to enter the pipe line, but prevents the liquid in such line from backing up into the tank, particularly during the operation of the plunger 23.

The rearwardly extending branch 11 is shown as supported from the whistle pipe 10 by means of a bracket Mounted within the branch 11 is a plunger 33 shown as provided at its front end with cup washers The rear end of this plunger projects through a packing gland 35 which is threaded onto the rear end of the pipe section 11 and is shown as in substantial engagement with the stem 4: of the whistle valve, being provided with a circular flange 35 said flange providing a convenient means for operating the whistle valve from the ordinary forked operating arm 36 having the forks 36 in the event that the line is out of service or that it is desired to dispense with th use of the same temporarily. The forks 36 will normally straddle the rear end of the packing gland and the plunger 33 may be operated by liquid pressure without affecting the forked lever and the operating wires connected thereto as would be the case wer the forks in engagement with the valve stem, as is the usual practice. The plunger 23 projects through a similar stufling gland 37 on the end of its pipe 8.

The substantially horizontal portion of the pipe line is shown as extending rearwardly beyond the pipe 9, as shown at 7 being connected to the horizontal and vertical pipes 7 and 9 by means of a T 38. The rear end of the branch 7 is shown as connected with a vertical filling pipe 39 which extends upwardly to a tank 40, located above the highest portion of the liquid line. The

lower end of the pipe 39 is shown as con nected to the pipe 7* by means of an elbow 41, there being a valve 42 interposed be tween the elbow and the main'pipe line, thus enabling the tank and the pipe 39 to be disconnected from the main line after the preliminary filling operation.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, the operation will be readily understood. The line being empty, the pet cock 14. being open, the vent plug 28 being removed and the valve 42 being opened, liquid from the tank 40 will fill the line completely, this being indicated by the escape of liquid from the vents l3 and 27. These vents may then be closed and the whistle may be operated by merely depressing the lever 19. After the preliminary filling operation, the tank 40 and its pipe 39 may be disconnected and the tank 29 and pipe 30 will thereafter serve to keep the line filled with liquid. Should any air accumulate within the line the same may be removed from time to time by means of the plug 28 and the pet cock 1%, and the line may be refilled from the tank 29. The tank 40 and pipe 39 may be dispensed with for the preliminary filling operation by making the tank 29 of sufiicient capacity to fill the line.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A closed liquid signal operating system comprising a conduit extending from a controlling station to an operating station, a device at the controlling station for applying pressure to the liquid in such conduit, a device at the operating station movable by the pressure imparted to the liquid in said conduit by the first mentioned device, a liquid supply pipe communicating with said conduit and extending above the highest point thereof, a check valve in said pipe, a pipe for preliminarily filling said conduit and extending above the same, means for venting said conduit, and an alarm signal in operative relation to the second device and adapted to be sounded by the movement of such device.

2. A closed liquid signal operating system comprising a conduit extending from a controlling station to an operating station, a device at the controlling station for applying pressure to the liquid in such conduit, a device at the operating station movable by the pressure imparted to the liquid in said conduit by the first mentioned device, a liquid supply pipe communicating with said conduit and extending above the highest point thereof, a check valve in said pipe, means for venting said conduit, and an alarm signal in operative relation to the second device and adapted to be sounded by the movement of such device.

3. A closed liquid signal operating system comprising a conduit extending from a controlling station to an operating stat-ion, a device at the controlling station for applying pressure to the liquid in such conduit, a device at the operating station movable by the pressure imparted to the liquid in said conduit by the first mentioned device, a liquid supply pipe extending above the highest point in said conduit and communicating with said conduit, a check valve in said pipe, and an alarm signal in operative relation to the second 'device and adapted to be sounded by the movement of such device.

4:. A closed liquid signal operating system comprising a conduit extending from an operating station to a controlling station, means at the controlling station for applying pressure to the liquid in said conduit, a plunger in said conduit at the operating station, said plunger extending beyond the end of said conduit, a whistle valve stem adapted to be engaged by the projecting end of said plunger, and means connected with the portion of said plunger which extends beyond said conduit for operating said plunger and the whistle valve stem inde-- pendently of the liquid in said conduit.

5. A closed liquid signal operating system comprising a conduit extending from a controlling station to an operating station, means at the controlling station for applying pressure to the liquid within said conduit, the said conduit having a substantially horizontal section at the end thereof remote from the controlling station, a plunger in said section and projecting therebeyond, means adjacent to said plunger for venting said conduit, and an alarm signal arranged in operative relation to the projecting end of the plunger.

6. A closed liquid signal operating system comprising a conduit extending from an operating station to a controlling station, means at the controlling station for applying pressure to the liquid in said conduit, a plunger in said conduit at the operating station, said plunger extending beyond the end of said conduit an alarm signal, a connection between said signal and the projecting portion of the plunger for operating said signal by the movement of the said plunger through the liquid in said conduit and means connected with such projecting portion of said plunger for operating the same and the signal independently of the liquid in said conduit.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my 20 signature.

DOUGLAS BREWS. 

